Captivity
by LuxRara
Summary: Jackson's next job after Red Eye. He's been demoted to babysitting the daughter of a well-connected man; see the man Jack has become through Julie's eyes. JxOC w/ JxL in flashback, all cannon. Rated M for LVS. Please review,looking for feedback
1. Chapter 1

Everything was in it's place. There were twenties, then tens, then fives. Then came his passport, his printed ticket, and finally a folded scrap of newspaper. Only fragments of the headline were visible; "_woman fou/ ruled sui-"_

He didn't need to take it out. He knew what it said.

This was a new day, and a new assignment. He inhaled the stale, swampy air, glad to be leaving. Glad to have a job to do.

Once he boarded the train (minimal security, that was a relief), he wandered through the cars until he found the girl. She looked just like her picture; Long, tumbling black hair; pale, fragile-looking skin. Everything about her looked fragile. The boss was right; this would be extremely easy.

Then she looked up at him. It was just for a moment; they made eye contact, then she looked away quickly as if she were slightly embarrassed. But in that moment, he saw that her eyes were a very specific shade of green. It made him irrationally angry; so much so that he decided to continue through the train cars, returning only when he felt that he was truly in control of the situation.

Julie was anxious for the train to depart. She wanted to get back home and taste the salt in the air. She was sick of Saint Charles with it's liquid heat that pressed down on your lungs as you tried to breathe it in. She set up all of her things; her book was in the pocket in front of her seat; her iPod sat in the cup holder. Her purse was sitting in the next seat and her suitcase was over her head.

"Excuse me-" A man was standing over her; the same man she had seen in this car a few minutes before. His sudden reappearance made her jump.

"Oh!" she stammered, looking down.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you-"

"No, it's okay." He flashed her a winning smile.

"I was just wondering if this seat was taken?"

"No, go ahead" she quickly grabbed her purse and stowed it under her seat to make room. He slid in next to her with ease.

"So, where are you headed?" Julie asked.

"Don't know." The man shrugged. She was taken back.

"Well, where did you buy a ticket to?"

"It's not important."

"So are you just, what? Riding for pleasure or something?" Julie laughed.

"I'll get off when I feel like it." He spoke as if this was a normal thing to do.

"But… but you know that this train has a set route, so you won't really be surprised, no matter where you get off, plus they'll announce it…"

"I know how trains work. I'm just feeling impulsive today."

"But, then what? What are you going to do?"

"I'll figure it out." He smiled at her again. His eyes, though hidden behind glasses, were disarming. Again, she looked away quickly.

"That makes absolutely no sense." She said in a small voice.

"Well," he began slowly, "maybe I see it as an adventure."

Julie eyed him skeptically before looking back at the window. She considered putting her headphones in, sending a passive-aggressive message.

"What? What are you thinking?" he sounded genuinely interested, and she felt compelled to answer him.

"Well, it's just that adventure… well, to me, adventure isn't really Amtrak, you know?" she explained while gesturing to the window. She hadn't even noticed that the train was now moving.

"What is an adventure to you?" he sounded almost suggestive. Julie chose to ignore this.

"If I were to go on an adventure, I'd start in a port town. Near the ocean."

"As opposed to the port towns that aren't near the ocean?"

Julie gave him a look. She didn't enjoy being mocked.

"Oh, I'm sorry, are we not at the joking stage yet?" his eyes were still smiling at her. She laughed, despite herself.

"So you'd go to a city near the ocean. Any particular place in mind?"

"Umm, I don't know, I haven't thought about it in great detail or anything."

"How about Santa Cruz?" Julie's smile faltered, just for a second. Then, she regained her composure.

"Why Santa Cruz?"

"Isn't that where you live?" his tone remained light and conversational. It sent chills down her spine.

"No," she lied. A small voice in her mind replayed her father's warnings, the ones she had always dismissed.

"So if I took your cell phone out of your purse right now, and looked up "home", the number wouldn't have an 831 area code?" This was a game to him, and she could tell he was enjoying the slow reveal.

"You're kinda freaking me out." She tried to maintain an innocent expression.

The man smiled sincerely. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to." He looked around conspiratorially. "Come here."

Julie hesitated, instead unconsciously moving away from him. He smiled wider, and then gently but forcefully pulled Julie by the arm, moving her closer to him.

"You see this?" his voice was lower now, slightly raspy. With his free hand, he opened the flap of his messenger bag, which was resting against his knees. Julie took one look inside, and then clamped her eyes shut. The man said nothing. When she opened them again, she began looking around for other passengers, or maybe a ticket-taker.

"There are very few people on this train with us. There is no one else in this car." It was like he was reading her mind. She felt invaded, in every sense of the word.

"Now I'd like to keep this-" he tapped his bag with his shoe, "between you and me, but in order for that to happen, you need to keep quiet, okay? You wouldn't want to drag anyone else into this, would you?" Her father had been right. She was supposed to be careful, but she had slipped.

Julie shook her head. Tears flew from her face, one landing on the man's shirt.

"Why are you doing this?"

"Do you know what your father does, Jules?" he used her name, removing any doubt that he knew exactly who she was.

"He's a lawyer."

"Tsk tsk tsk." Julie watched his lips purse around the sound. "He's not a lawyer, Jules, he's a legal advisor. Surely you know this. He has many influential clients and, unfortunately, many more influential enemies."

"I don't know anything about that, please. I won't be any good for you."

"It's not about what you know. I have a client who would like to get a point across to your father, and he thinks the best way to do that is through you." Fear trickled down her spine. It was a heavy, unavoidable thing. She felt her skin go cold.

"Let's talk about something else. Let's talk about what happens next."He looked out the window, exhaling in faux-earnestness. His hand was still wrapped around her forearm. "Wouldn't you like to know what happens next?"

Julie kept quiet, her breathing erratic.

"We're going to wait until dark, and then we can get off anywhere. My ticket is for the last stop, and you're not supposed to get off until California, so no one will ever know if we just disappear at some anonymous town. No one would ever know where to look for us."

Julie shook her head vigorously. Her hair stuck to her wet face. He was pulling her so close to him, speaking so softly, that she could feel the subtle movements of his body. He was warm, and the smooth fabric of his clothes were brushing uncomfortably back and forth across her skin. He smelled expensive and dangerous at the same time, like soap and liquor. When he spoke, his breath ran across her face, making her slightly sick. But her free hand was trying to reach her back pocket without being noticed. Her fingers had almost closed around her cell phone.

"Don't worry, Jules, I have a very specific itinerary I'm sticking to. You just need to sit tight, and not try anything _heroic" _his eyes flashed a warning at this word, and he tightened his grip around her arm. She winced, recoiling from the pain before meeting his eyes.

For a second, he seemed stunned. His expression flickered, mutated, and his fingers relaxed slightly. Then, just like that, he was back, and angrier than ever.

"I know you, though. I've seen you, and you're not going to try anything."

"Please, I promise I won't say anything, to anyone, I won't, I won't." her voice broke on the last word, but she had finally gotten a purchase on the phone, and she was waiting for the right moment to shift her weight so that she could pull it out. Still, she was terrified to try it, terrified he would catch her and she would lose her only chance.

Julie avoided looking the man in the eye again, but she took in his thin frame, his tailored clothing, and a swath of pink, shriveled skin in the center of his neck. The scar rose and fell with his breath. Something about this image made him seem more dangerous, and a sob rose in her throat. She tried to swallow it, but it clawed it's way through, and a horrible, ragged sound escaped her lips. The man turned to her sharply, leaning into her space.

"What did I tell you about keeping quiet?"

Julie couldn't help it then, she collapsed into even louder sobs. The young man sighed, irritated, and then rummaged in his bag. Julie grew even more hysterical, trapped between her captor and the window. He sat up, holding a small orange bottle of pills.

"Take one. I promise you'll feel better, and this will all go faster."

"Please, I won't tell anyone, please, please-"

"Just take the fucking pills!"

Julie couldn't even form complete words. She could only focus on breathing, focus on her one lifeline, still stuck in her pocket. The young man sighed again.

"You know, I really didn't want to do it this way, but you've forced my hand."

He reached down into his bag again. Julie watched in horror as he reappeared with a wet piece of cloth lying limply across his palm. Before she could react, the young man pressed the cloth over her nose and mouth, and then pushed her face into his chest. She struggled against him for a few seconds before wilting in his arms. He stroked her hair, and from an outsider's perspective, it would appear as an intimate embrace.

Jackson calmly repositioned her into a more conventional pose before checking her heart rate on her neck. Satisfied, he reached over her body for her iPod.


	2. Chapter 2

When Julie came to, there were white spots in her vision. She shook her head, which sent spasms of pain down her spine, trying to remember the last real thing that had happened. But then, a low, calculating voice cleared the fog for her.

"Excellent timing. We've almost reached our destination." Julie looked around, her vision coming back. She was sitting in the same seat, on the same train, with all of her things surrounding her. She was also sitting next to the same man, who had her iPod sitting in his lap. Her voice failed her.

"You have terrible taste in music, by the way." He tossed it into her lap. "So, let's go over the plan, shall we?"

Julie looked out the window, but it only reflected flat darkness back at her.

"We're going to get off at this next stop. There's a Hilton across the street. Once we get up to the room, we'll make a little phone call to your dad, and set up the next steps. Sound good?"

"No."

"Great. Now, let's go over some ground rules. For this short jaunt over to the hotel, you keep your head down, you stay with me. You don't talk to anyone. You might be able to break away, but I promise you won't get far, and I promise you'll pay for it later. If anyone asks you a question I'll give them your answer. Easy enough, right?"

Julie nodded, letting her hand fall to her side. She just needed to see if her phone was still there, she could use it later…

"Looking for this?" Jackson held up the shiny piece of plastic. Julie's heart sank. Then, to her surprise, he handed it to her. She flipped it open, but the screen didn't light up.

"I'm keeping the battery for now, if that's alright."

A muffled voice came over the loudspeaker. "Ladies and gentlemen, we have reached Temple. This is the Temple train depot. If Temple is your final destination-"

"That's us." Jack told her. He stood, slinging his leather bag over his shoulder. Julie sat, dumbfounded.

"I really don't have time for this, Jules." He said, holding out his hand. She stood, ignoring the gesture. She grabbed her purse, and her overnight bag. He moved out into the aisle t give her room. When she made it over to him, he put an unyielding arm over her shoulder.

"My suitcase," she said as they walked awkwardly toward the door.

"She speaks! Don't worry about it." When the two passed the ticket-taker, Jackson nodded at him. The old man smiled kindly back at the two.

Julie felt a surge of adrenaline as they passed. Was this her moment? Should she scream, push her assailant away and go running? Then, just as quickly, the moment had passed. She kept her head down.

Even though it was nighttime, the air was hot and hard to swallow. Just as the man had promised, a bright orange stucco building loomed from across the street. It was a perfect rectangle, with each window evenly spaced, and one entrance. It looked like a middle-class prison.

They crossed the street immediately; there was no traffic. Julie thought she would have another opportunity when they checked in, but when they crossed immediately to the elevator, she saw her opportunity vanish. Jackson pulled a white plastic card out of his pocket. They reached the fourth floor.

Their room was right next to the elevator. Slowly, Julie was realizing how expertly planned this entire thing had been. They were on the fourth floor; even if the window opened it was no help. There was only one door, and her captor was currently fastening each deadbolt. They each clicked with a dull, metallic finality.

"Now what?" she asked, standing in the hallway. He turned to face her.

"Now, I give you your battery back, and you call your dad."

"What am I supposed to say?"

"Don't worry; we'll do it together." He crossed in front of her, his shoulder catching hers slightly. The action made her feel cold all over.

Jackson pulled out one of the overstuffed green chairs facing the desk, before sitting in the one opposite it. Julie hesitated, then walked over to sit in the chair.

"Here you go." He reached inside his coat pocket, and offered her the small black box. She grabbed it out of his hand, careful not to touch his skin, and quickly inserted it into the back of her phone. There was an awkward period of time as they waited for her phone to wake back up. When it finally gained some bars (a weak showing at two), she scrolled through her favorites to find 'Dad-Cell'.

The phone rang and rang. Her pulse raced.

"Julie?" Her father answered lightly. Had he realized what had happened? Should she have arrived by now?

"Hi Daddy," she said, fighting to keep her voice composed. A few feet away, Jackson was smiling at her encouragingly.

"I just sent Brooks to go get you, are you close?"

"No, um" she looked up at Jackson. He grabbed the phone out of her hand. Instinctively, she tried to grab it back. With one quick motion, he slapped her hard across the face. She slumped in the chair.

"Mr. Iverson?" he asked clearly. "I'm afraid Julie won't be arriving as expected."

There was a moment of agitated silence, during which Jackson listened attentively.

"Who I am is not important. Let's just say I'm a facilitator. You should be worried about my client. So here's the deal. You're going to do a few things for me, okay?"

Another moment of silence.

"Why don't you just get a pen and a piece of paper…mmhmm…okay. You're going to tell Antonio Lamposi not to testify tomorrow-" Jackson's patience was visibly growing thin. Julie watched him listening; she could hear the low buzz of her father's voice on the other end.

"Don't lie to me, Mr. Iverson. I know that you are the chief legal advisor for Mr. Lamposi and I know that you've been prepping him to testify in the Nemia case. I need you to prevent that from happening."

More buzzing.

"Good. Now I trust that you are a smart enough guy that you _know_ calling the police would be a bad idea. Am I right?...Great. The second thing I need you to do, as a sign of good faith, is transfer four hundred thousand dollars to the following account-" Jackson was clenching his jaw. Julie could tell he didn't enjoy being interrupted.

He slammed his hand down on the table, making Julie jump in her chair. "You don't make the rules here! I have your daughter, and I have a really big fucking knife, and if you don't want the two to meet each other then you need to do exactly as I say!" he rubbed his hand over his face. "Now, are you ready to listen to the bank information?"

A more subdued buzz from the other end of the line. "Great."Jackson recited a very long, foreign-sounding name, followed by a longer code of numbers. He listened to other end, then rolled his eyes.

"He wants to talk to you again," he explained, offering the phone to Julie. She took it with a shaking hand.

"Julie, baby?" Her father sounded broken. It scared her to hear him so… so out of control.

"Daddy," she answered.

"Are you okay? Have they hurt you?"

"No, he hasn't hurt me." She decided the whole drugging thing wasn't worth bringing up.

"So it's just one guy, then?"

"That's right." Suddenly, she had an idea. "Daddy, will you tell Angie I'm sorry I couldn't make it to her party?"

It was a long shot, but Julie knew her father was an intelligent man. Angie was her father's partner in the Nemia case. She lived in the city, but they had been working together so much lately that Julie had learned nearly everything there was to know about her. Angie had a deep Southern twang, and her recent birthday party had been Texas-themed.

"…Okay, I will," her father answered. She could tell he was thinking, but she didn't know if he got it. However, the city was the only thing she had to go on. She knew Temple was somewhere in Central Texas. Her father spoke again.

"Just answer yes or no; is there something I need to know about Angie?"

"No."

"So there's something about her party?"

"Mhmm-" Jackson ripped the phone from my ear.

"Time's up. I hope you enjoyed your chat. You have your instructions, I'll call you if any further complications arise.

"Oh, and Mr. Iverson? If the money isn't transferred by," he pushed up the sleeve of his jacket to examine his wristwatch, "eleven pm tomorrow night, you'll have to pick up your daughter in pieces."


End file.
